Worthy
by imbadnews
Summary: My take on what should have happened after Logan interrupted Rory and Jess's chance to catch up. Lit, of course.
1. Mistakes

_Hey, guys! I haven't written fanfiction in two years. I was going to update my story "Life Itself" but I figured I'd start from scratch and get back into writing first. My writing skills have improved so much over two years so reading my old stories has been a good laugh. This might not be the most original take on this scene but I have some other ideas for future chapters. Enjoy!_

_Oh, and I own nothing... except for Milo... in my dreams._

Jess had enough. This guy sitting across from him was a bigger jerk than he had ever been, which he thought was nearly impossible. How could Rory be with a guy like this?

"I've had it." Jess pushed his seat back angrily and gave Rory a look of disappointment before leaving the restaurant. Rory caught that glance and looked back at Logan who wore an expression of utter confusion. Why he was confused, she had no idea. He WAS a jerk, why wouldn't Jess just walk out?

Rory bit her lip and stood up.

"Where are you going, Ace?"Logan jumped in his seat.

"Don't follow me."

Rory put her jacket on and ran through the doors, hoping he hadn't left already. She looked around her and sighed when there was no sign of Jess there. She flipped open her phone to call him until she heard a deep voice from behind her.

"You passed." Jess was sitting on the bench behind her. She was surprised that she had missed him when she came outside searching for him.

"Passed what?"

"The old Rory would've followed me. I guess the new Rory isn't as bad as I thought."

"What does you mean by _new_ Rory? I'm exactly the same, Jess."

Jess snorted. "What's going on with you?"

"Nothing? I'm fine." Rory was starting to get defensive, she didn't come outside to be tested. She simply wanted to apologize for her boyfriend being a jerk.

"You're not fine. Come on, Rory. What's up? Luke told me that you're not speaking to your mom, which would explain why you're living at your grandparents house, I guess. You're not at Yale. This isn't you."

Rory didn't know what to say. The only other person to point out her mistakes was her mom, and she refused to talk to her because of it. She couldn't say that she didn't regret leaving Yale, but after being so confident about taking some time off, she couldn't just go back. She never expected things to get out of hand.

"I don't know what's up with me. I just wanted some time off from Yale."

"To be with that jerk?"

"He's not a jerk! He's been having a bad day, he's not always like this."

"Rory, we used to make fun of guys like that. He's not your type. Hell, I think you'd be better off with Dean than you would be with blondie in there!"

Jess was starting to yell and Rory didn't know how to react. When they had dated, she was usually the one doing all of the encouraging. She stood there silently and stared at the ground.

Jess sighed. "Was he okay with you leaving Yale?"

Rory bit her lip but wouldn't say anything.

"Was he?"

Nothing, she was still staring at the ground.

"Rory, tell me. Did he fight it at all?"

Rory felt tears forming in her eyes which made it harder to look at him because she didn't want him to see her cry. Then he would know that he got to her. "No."

By the tone in her voice, Jess could tell she was crying. She began sobbing and although he was angry with her, he couldn't help but feel bad for her. He put his arms around her and placed one hand on the back of her head and kissed it. She cuddled up to him and cried into his jacket, taking in all of the familiar smells of her past.

After a few seconds of standing there, Jess led her over to the bench. To sit down she was going to have to detach herself from Jess's body but he could tell she wasn't ready. So he gently moved her over to his side and so that they could sit down. He still kept his arm around her back so that she felt comforted by his touch.

"I don't know what I'm doing with myself. I left Yale because my boyfriend's father said he didn't think I'd make it as a journalist. I let one insensitive, arrogant, moron pull me apart and allow me to lose everything. And Logan just let me leave. My mom told me to stay but I wouldn't listen. I took the easy way out, I never take the easy way out!" She continued to ramble and rant until Jess tried to shush her and calm her down.

"Take a few breaths. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to freak you out."

"No, you're right about all of it. My mom was right. I can't believe I let this happen. And I can't believe Logan. What kind of boyfriend just lets his girlfriend leave college? I mean, he didn't even warn me of anything. If me and you were still together, you wouldn't let me leave." Jess squirmed uncomfortably. Obviously he still had feelings for her. He'd always had and feared that he always would. "I don't know what to do!" Rory wiped her eyes and tried to slow down her sobs. Jess tried to help by rubbing her back.

"Calm down! We all make mistakes. God knows I have. But you're right, if we were still together, I wouldn't let you leave Yale. But that doesn't matter. Make things right."

Rory stopped crying and forced a small smile at him. "I want to try."

Jess smiled back at her. "Well, I've seen you tackle some pretty intense stuff so I think you can handle it."

"Thanks, Jess. I'm sorry about all of this."

"It's no problem. I just want you to do what you've gotta do. And I'm gonna do what I've gotta do."

"Write the great Amercian novel?" She mocked.

"Well, I'd like to try. As I said before, don't get too jazzed about the whole writing a book thing until you actually read it."

"I'm sure it's great. Looks like someone needs to give you a reality check too so you'll realize how talented you are."

"Eh, I don't know about talented but I'll take worthy." He smiled at her and she smiled back. They sat there staring at one another without using words, words would ruin the moment.

Then she broke the silence. "Well, I guess I have to get rid of him."

"Sure." Jess nodded.

"Um, can I ask you something?"

"Go for it."

"Do you ever wonder how things would be right now if we had lasted?"

"Every day. I regret screwing things up every day. I regret letting you go."

"I regret letting you go, too."

Jess cleared his throat. "Well, if you're going to end things with blondie in there, do you think we could, I don't know, do something together? Someday... soon?"

Rory smiled. She had wanted to see him again after today. He made her realize so many things that she had been denying for a long time now. He was right about the old Rory and the new Rory. For someone who was headed down the wrong path, he surely knew where he was going now and that's exactly what she wanted him to know three years ago when they were together.

"Sure. I'd really like that."

"Good, me too."

They continued to smile at one another like idiots but they didn't seem to notice anyone else around them, so they really didn't care.

"Well, I better go. Logan probably thinks I left or something."

"Yeah, true." Jess exhaled loudly. "Okay, so I'll call you."

"How long are you gonna be in town for?"

"For as long as I have a reason to be in town. Work doesn't need me right now."

"Good. I'll see you later."

Jess stood up. "Bye, Rory," he said and walked away.

Rory watched him until she could no longer see him. Now she knew what she had to do, so she walked back into the restaurant to see a drunk Logan swinging down yet another shot. Once he saw her, a goofy smile appeared on his face.

"Hey, Ace!!!! How's bookboy doing???? You know, maybe he can write a book about this particular experience."

"He's fine."

Logan stood up and opened his arms to embrace Rory but she moved away before he could put his arms around her.

"Don't."

"What's wrong with you now?"

"You were a jerk."

"He's a big boy. Don't worry about it."

"I can't do this anymore."

"Do what???" Logan was started to get irritated. The whole night she had given him an attitude and now that he had a few drinks in him, he was starting to feel less tolerant.

"Be with a jerk. I mean, I want someone who is going to support me and encourage me to do well in life."

"What are you talking about? Are you blaming me for you leaving Yale? Moving into your grandparents house? Don't you dare blame me for that. You made those choices, I let you do what you want. It was YOUR choice, not mine."

"I know all of that. But you didn't TRY to get me to realize what I was doing."

"Whatever, I let you do what you want. Plus I have my own problems to worry about."

"Oh, that's right! Your poor life. Let's hear about it. Let's hear about your horrible life where everything is handed to you."

"Got a week?"

Rory laughed. "You've got to be kidding. You have so many opportunities available to you that anyone would dream of having, including me."

"All I see is one door open and I'm being pushed through it. Come June my life is over."

"Whatever, Logan. I'm done with this. I'm leaving."

"You're not thinking right, Rory. I know this. Tomorrow you're gonna feel differently and we'll just forget about all of this."

Rory shook her head. "No, we're not. You're the one who isn't thinking right, it's a little hard to do when you're drunk. Which you are 90 of the time. Bye, Logan."

Without even waiting for his response, she walked back out into the freezing cold and knew what she had to do. She had to make things right with her mom, get back into Yale, move out of her grandparents house, and start over with Jess.

Lorelai opened her microwave and pulled out the bag of popocorn that had just popped. Flinching at the heat that touched her fingers, she dropped it quickly on the counter which made it bounce off and hit the ground. Paul Anka walked over and sniffed the bag but growled at the smell.

"Okay, popcorn is going on the dislikes column." Most people would think she was kidding, but she wasn't. Paul Anka was like a human, only ten times pickier. She walked over the refrigerator and added "popcorn" as number forty-two on the list of what Paul Anka liked and disliked.

She looked back over at him and shook her head. "You are just getting weirder and weirder, man."

Lorelai took a bowl out of the cabinet and set it on the table. The bag had cooled down by now so she could pick it up without burning her fingers but before she could do so, the phone had rang. She ran into the living room and picked him the phone from its cradle. "Hello?"

"Mom?"

"Rory!?!"

"I'm going back to Yale!"

"Oh, yay!" Lorelai jumped up which made Paul Anka bark. "Hey, shhh you."

"Who are you talking to?"

"Paul Anka!"

"Sure you are. Anyway, I'm fixing everything."

Lorelai had forgotten that Rory didn't even know who Paul Anka was, or not this one at least. "Aw, good, kid. Where are you?"

"Outside!"

Lorelai ran over to the window to see that all too familiar car pulling into the driveway, just like old times. She ran to the door and down the steps as Rory hoppped out of her car. Both throwing their phones to the ground, they embraced one another in possibly the strongest hug ever.

"I'm so sorry!" Rory cried.

"No, I'm sorry!"

"I was so stupid!"

"No, you weren't!"

"I love you, mom!"

"Oh, you have no idea, kid. You have no idea."

_I hope to continue with this if you guys like it. Comments are welcomed and ideas are even more welcome._ :)


	2. Promises

_Like I had said before, my last chapter wasn't the most original take on that scene, but it was just to start the story. Here is Chapter Two, read and review: comments/ideas make me happy. And again, I only own Milo in my sleep and nothing else._

After their brief hugging session outside, Rory and Lorelai walked back inside the newly furnished house, something Rory wasn't too familiar with. Taking on all of the differences of her childhood home made Rory feel even worse, knowing that she had missed out on so much and now nothing felt the same. Paul Anka ran down the stairs and stopped short when he saw Rory, he stood there staring at her without making a sound.

"Uh, Mom, there's a dog in the house."

"Not just any dog, this is Paul Anka!" Lorelai clapped with enthusiasm. "Ain't he cute?"

Rory stared back at Paul Anka, neither of them blinked which made it a mini staring-eye contest between girl and dog. After a few seconds, Lorelai noticed.

"Do you guys want to be alone?"

Paul Anka yawned and walked back up the stairs.

"Huh. Don't take this the wrong way, but who in their right mind would let you have a dog?" Rory asked, turning to face her mother.

"Hey, I'm an excellent mother to Paul Anka, thank you."

"Whatever you say."

"So! I wanna know all about Yale and what made you change your mind." Lorelai walked over to her new couch, one that looked like they actually had money, and motioned for Rory to sit down. "Come on, talk to mommy."

Rory smiled and followed her mothers request by sitting down next to her and placing a pillow on her lap. "I don't know, I just realized what a horrible mistake I was making, you know. I saw the light."

"Uh huh."

"And a good friend helped me. I realized that I'm also worthy of doing great despite what other snot-nosed jerks think."

"Of course, but who is this "good friend"? Logan? Lane?" Lorelai asked curiously.

"Just a friend." Rory smiled to herself, thinking of Jess and the comfort he had given her just hours ago.

"Oh, well, what do you say we celebrate! I'll run down to Luke's and get some junk to rot out our brains and you can pick out a movie from our very selective, yet very inspiring movie collection."

"Sounds good. It's good to be home, mom." Rory pushed the pillow aside to give her mother a hug.

"Aw, kid, it's great to have you home."

Lorelai left and ran down to Luke's and by the time she got there, she was completely out of breath.

Barging through the door, Lorelai yelled, "Rory's home!!!!"

Luke was startled by his fiance's loud entrance and spilled coffee on his hand, causing him to wince and mumble. "Jeez. What???"

"Rory's home!! Give me fries, burgers, cherry pie, and throw in anything else that will make us obese, in other words, no salad!!"

"Okay, okay stop yelling. What happened?" Luke tried to calm her down but didn't mind the enthusiasm that had left her since she and Rory stopped speaking.

"Nothing, I don't know, she came home. She's going back to Yale. She's back on the right path."

Luke smiled. "That's great! I'm really glad. Do you know what caused her to change her mind?"

"She said an good friend helped but she wouldn't say who. But who cares, my Rory, our Rory is home!!!" She continued to squeal with excitement while Luke tried to figure out who could've encouraged Rory. Jess? Nah.

Caesar walked out from the kitchen with a box of junk, just about everything Lorelai and Rory had ordered from the diner over the past decade they had been going there.

"Thanks, Caesar! We're pulling an all nighter so I'll see you in the morning!" Lorelai leaned over the counter to give Luke a peck on the lips before grabbing her box of perishables and running out of the diner.

Luke was still puzzled. Why did he have a feeling that Jess had something to do with this? Dean wasn't around town much anymore since the little debacle with Lindsay. If it was Lane, Rory would've said something. Who was that blonde kid she was seeing? Lorelai said he was supporting her, and again, she would've mentioned Logan's name. It was obviously someone she wanted to keep a secret, and Jess's identity would have definitely been kept a secret.

He told Caesar he was going upstairs to get something and when he opened the door to his apartment, he saw him. Of course it was him.

"Ahh, and I was right. Like always."

"Hello, Uncle Luke." Jess smiled devilishly.

"Was it you?"

"What are you babbling about?"

"Did you tell Rory to get her life together?"

"Does it matter? The important thing is that she's doing it." Jess snapped back at him and walked over to the refrigerator to grab a beer.

"Yes, it does matter." Luke walked over and grabbed the opened beer.

"Hey, I'm twenty-one now."

"I don't care, tell me."

"Yes, I just gave her the little reality check that she needed, no biggie."

"It is a big deal. None of us could knock any sense into that girl and it just so happens that the guy who once needed the reality check himself was able to convince her to go back to school."

"Luke, it's cool. All that matters is she's gonna try to get back to the way things were. The fact that it was me means nothing."

"Jess..."

"Luke." Jess stared back at him, giving him a look that told him to change the topic.

"Okay, well, thanks for doing that. It made Lorelai happier than she's been in awhile."

"Glad to help." Jess nodded and headed for the door.

"Hey, now where are you going?"

"Going for a walk." Jess walked out and the door slammed unintentionally behind him. Luke knew where he was going.

As he arrived to his destination, he saw her sitting there, not to his surprise because he had a gut feeling that she was going to be there. She was dangling her feet from the bridge and looking at her reflection in the water. He smiled at the image before him, it was beautiful, like a piece of art.

"Hey."

Rory turned around to look at him. "Hey, what are you doing here?"

"I knew I'd find you here." He walked over to her and sat down beside her.

"Just came here to think."

"About?"

"My life. I mean, I want to go back to Yale and make things right. But what if I can't do that?"

"You know you can, Rory. And I'll help you."

Rory smiled. "You shouldn't make my problems your problems. You've done enough and I have no idea how I'm going to make it up to you."

"Promise me you'll be good. You'll do good."

"Deal," she said, still smiling at him as he smiled back.

"I want that in writing." He joked.

"Okay, give me a pen."

"I don't have a pen."

"Where is the pen you take orders with?" Rory stole her mothers line, something that would've made Lorelai very proud.

Jess laughed, also remembering how Lorelai would always pester Luke with the same question. "Very funny, I don't even work at the diner anymore."

"Well, where is the pen you write in the margins with?"

"You know me too well." Jess pulled out a book from his back pocket and pulled out a pen that sat between two pages, it was used as a placeholder.

"Yes, I do." Rory scooted back so she was able to move her legs to the side and bring them under her. She leaned down to the side of the bridge and took the cap off the pen. She tried to write her message on the wood of the bridge, but it wasn't legible. "Crap."

She stood up and walked down the bridge. "Where are you going!" Jess yelled back to her.

Without answering, she stopped at the end of the bridge and picked out a sharp rock from the collection of rocks and walked back over to him. Leaning back down, she carved letters into the wood and sat back. "Perfect."

Jess leaned over to read it and smiled. She had carved in the word _promise._

"Oh that's real binding." Jess joked. He also thought it was perfect but he couldn't help mocking her a bit.

"It is!" She pushed him playfully. "Now if I ever make another mistake, you can bring me over here and show me that."

"What if it doesn't work?"

"It will." She smiled at him for a few seconds before staring back down at the water. Jess also stared at the water as they sat there in silence, just enjoying one another's company. After a few minutes, Rory leaned her head of Jess's shoulder. Jess place his arm around her waist and gently kissed her forehead. Rory had told her mother that she was going for a walk and that she would be back in a few minutes but she didn't wanna move. She was comfortable, he was comfortable. He motivated her, he replaced all of the confidene that she had been stripped of. She decided to stay, just a few more minutes.


End file.
